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Asked by liv2hik ·July 9, 2023 ·13k readers

IMO 2 Question

I have some IMO 2 that I'm using in compost tea.  A couple of batches of the IMO are separating with a dry layer on top and a pure liquid layer in the middle and a wet layer of rice on the bottom.  Is this normal and should I stir it up before i use it?  Do I risk it getting moldy?  

Top answer

dagoofman · Jul 11, 2023
i would guess that the rice may have been overcooked in those batches and the sugar pulled out to much water causing the separation (IMO2 should be like a thick paste or putty when finished) ....i would use them up first cause they do risk mold with the high water content ....i would think that the liquid still has a high microbe content as the microbes would have started propagating in the liquid so id think theres no need to stir it up but i dont think it would hurt to do so before use   Happy Experimenting

From the KNF library

From the KNF library Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books · Sep 2026 · 4 sources

The library's recipe mixes the rice culture with an equal weight of brown sugar, fills the jar 2/3 full, and covers it with a paper towel and rubber band (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 44). Check the separated batches against that.

Bubbles in a stored IMO2 jar mean it is losing its effectiveness (Cho, Theory, p. 54). Store the jar dry and cool, out of direct sunlight (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 44).

Cho's recipe text says stirring the jar is beneficial. The scan is garbled about when (Cho, Recipe, p. 14).

For tea, the library says IMO3 or IMO4 is generally used (Cho's Solutions, p. 11). Drake would want to know why IMO2 is going into the tea.

The library does not say whether layering is normal. It also says nothing about mold risk in a finished IMO2 jar.

Sources

  • p. 11 Cho's Solutions · “IMO3 or IMO4 is generally used.”
  • p. 54 Cho, Theory · “The appearance of bubbles means that IMO are losing their effectiveness.”
  • p. 44 Student's Manual, Basic Course · “Mix contents of box with equal weight of brown sugar and place in jar, 2/3 full”
  • p. 14 Cho, Recipe · “it is beneficial to stir the jar in the initial morning”
1 more answer
liv2hik · Jul 11, 2023
Thx Dagoofman.  I took me more than a year to get my first IMO collection.   I knew it was possible because i've seen the mold in my composter.  I live in a rather dry environment and found the ala dante rice drying out before IMO colonization.  I have a new rice cooker with a harder rice setting that's worked will. I've found with some experimenting if I soak the bottom of my cedar box in water to keep the rice from drying out and waiting for rain has been way to get IMO1.

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